1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a protection device, and more particularly, a protective shield for a bus driver.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous innovations for protective enclosures for drivers have been provided in the prior art that will be described. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, however, they differ from the present invention.
A FIRST EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 1,631,357, Issued on Jun. 7, 1927, to Blair et al. teaches in a vehicle, a driver's enclosure comprising a partition including a wall situated rearward of the driver's seat, the wall having a sight opening intermediate of its height, a vertically slidable panel having a glazed portion and an opaque portion, either of which may be brought into juxtaposition with the sight opening by the sliding of the panel, and means for retaining the panel in either position to which it may be moved.
A SECOND EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,227,735, Issued on Oct. 14, 1980, to Joyner teaches a protective enclosure for a bus driver which includes a back wall fabricated from steel and secured to the inner walls of a bus by means of suitable angle irons or braces. A main support column is secured to the back wall at the other end. The back wall has a central area fabricated from a relatively impenetrable transparent material. A side section extends at right angles to the back wall and includes a door for gaining access to the enclosure. The door can be operated by means of a push bar located on the inside of the enclosure to enable a driver to exit the enclosure. The door also contains relatively large glass areas to provide an unobstructed view both to the driver and the passengers. Other features which include two-way communications and emergency devices are also disclosed.
A THIRD EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,235,470, Issued on Nov. 25, 1980, to Kauss et al. teaches a utility vehicle with a self-contained driver compartment and with spring and damping elements by which the driver compartment is elastically supported on the rest of the vehicle mass. Located centrally between the driver compartment and the rest of the vehicle there is provided a guide arrangement which guides the driver compartment in all its motions relative to the rest of the vehicle and which consists of a vertical guide as well as two rotating guides coupled with it, their pivot axes being in the vehicle's longitudinal direction and transverse to it.
A FOURTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,096,214, Issued on Mar. 17, 1992, to Walker et al. teaches a portable enclosure which is suitable for use as a portable bus stop or the like and includes a frame constructed of plastic pipe, a canopy covering the top and bottom portions of the frame and a clear plastic window area located in the center section of the frame between the canopy segments, for viewing purposes. The portable enclosure is fitted with a pair of wheels and a handle positioned above the wheels for transportation purposes and includes a door for ingress and egress and a seat for accommodating the occupant or occupants.
A FIFTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Patent Office Publication No. 2001/0033084, Published on Oct. 25, 2001, to Murray et al. teaches a protective shield that prevents flying objects from striking a school bus driver. The protective shield has a plastic mesh body that allows unobstructed viewing of the occupants on a school bus. The school bus driver shield can be readily installed and removed. The protective shield is strong, durable, and lightweight.
A SIXTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 6,517,135, Issued on Feb. 11, 2003, to de Gaillard teaches a motor vehicle with a convertible passenger compartment formed from a fixed front section which has the motor vehicle roof and a rear movable sliding module which is movably supported on the body and can be moved to vary the size of the passenger compartment relative to the fixed front section between a short position and a long position.
A SEVENTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. D549,153, Issued on Aug. 21, 2007, to Brown teaches a ornamental design for a bus driver door shield, as shown and described. It is apparent now that numerous innovations for protective enclosures for drivers have been provided in the prior art that are adequate for various purposes. Furthermore, even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, accordingly, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.